What the Heck? Or Que?

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a champion of Utah taking its place in the global economy, finds himself in an awkward position after shutting down a state-owned online information site because it is in Spanish. Huntsman’s spokesman Mike Mower says the site will remain down until the governor’s legal counsel can determine if its translations of basic state information violate a 2000 Utah law that makes English the state’s official language. But critics say Huntsman overreacted to a xenophobic backlash that followed the recent visit of Mexican President Vicente Fox and that continues to be fueled by the immigration reform debate. Two weeks ago, the state launched www.espanol.utah.gov, a Spanish-language companion to the state’s informational Web site www.utah.gov. The Spanish-language site offered 10 pages of information on taxes, health services, driver licences, and work-force services selected from the state’s 400-page Web site. But within days, callers complained to the governor’s office that the site violated Utah’s law making English the state’s official language. The Spanish-language site was quickly taken down until its content can be reviewed, said Mower.

KJ